Welcome Archbishop Shelton

Monday was weird. It began as most days have since Archbishop Kurtz turned 75 and had to submit his resignation: checking the daily press bulletin from the Vatican for “rinunce e nomine.” Still nothing for Acivescovo di Louisville.

Then later, during a meeting with Sharon C. to hammer out all of the Lenten events, my phone lock-screen lit up with a text from a friend, “Guess you’ve seen this” with a link to an article from a Catholic news site that had a photo of a guy I went to seminary with. Funny thing is, back in the day we used to joke that the one way to make sure you’re never named bishop was to be a graduate from Louvain. We hadn’t had an alum named bishop since the 60’s. Then in 2007 Shelton became an auxiliary bishop for New Orleans, the first Louvain bishop in decades. Now this story said he was to be my new boss here in Louisville!

Of course the story was a leak from “Vatican sources,” but that didn’t mean it was true.  Episcopal appointments are a closely guarded secret until they’re announced by the Vatican.  So I set about sleuthing the internet and texting local sources. By the time a Louisiana paper had confirmed a press conference on Tuesday at the pastoral center in Houma and a friend had confirmed one at our pastoral center the same day, I was pretty sure it was accurate. So I sent a welcome email that evening (provisionally) to make sure I beat Fr Mike Tobin, who was a classmate of Bishop Shelton. The next morning at 6am (noon Rome time) the official announcement came up at the Vatican site. And I did some celebrating.

I’d been thinking that Bishop Shelton would be a good fit for Louisville. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to wish on him having to leave his home for ours, knowing he loves Louisiana like I love Louisville. (That’s the main reason I’m not a Jesuit – no Jesuits in Louisville.)

There was a meeting Wednesday morning for us priests to meet the new archbishop. We got to pray together and hear from now Archbishop Shelton. Among other things we found out he’s a fan of Family Feud. And he told me I won the email race.

-Fr Lou